Made several years before the first ROBOCOP movie, this Frankenstein-like story is remarkably similar in plot and tone to that franchise. A scientist, Dr. Carl Lehman, is killed by one of this co-workers in an exploding lab accident. His pregnant wife believes him dead-but the other scientists at his research facility have secretly taken his body and used it in an experiment. They have placed his corpse in this new mechanical suit, originally designed for explorers on Mars, and this keeps his brain alive and allows him to move around. There's a device, however, built into the suit which makes him want to kill anything that comes near him, which is controlled by a remote-control device. The device is inadvertently removed before he awakens to his robotic life-and as a result the female scientist who is present ends up being killed.The man in charge of this project is Lehman's boss, Dr. Randolph Whyte, who is as nasty as a villain can get. He'll do anything to protect his project-and himself. He is determined to have the out-of-control 'Vindicator' killed so he hires an assassin named Hunter (Pam Grier in an over-the-top performance) to do just that.Lehman does contact his wife and tells her what is happening, knowing he can never be with her. At one point, when he is able to remove his metallic helmet, he sees his reflection-and his ravaged face looks like DR. PHIBE'S. The finale of the movie is a physical confrontation between Lehman and Whyte, who has donned one of the other experimental robotic suits. They tumble about the lab until only one is left standingGranted, THE VINDICATOR is slow at times and the comparable ROBOCOP is a far better movie, yet it's still an interesting Sci-Fi/Horror B-movie.The Vindicator costume, by the way, is designed by Stan Winston Studio.
Made several years before the first ROBOCOP movie, this Frankenstein-like story is remarkably similar in plot and tone to that franchise. A scientist, Dr. Carl Lehman, is killed by one of this co-workers in an exploding lab accident. His pregnant wife believes him dead-but the other scientists at his research facility have secretly taken his body and used it in an experiment. They have placed his corpse in this new mechanical suit, originally designed for explorers on Mars, and this keeps his brain alive and allows him to move around. There's a device, however, built into the suit which makes him want to kill anything that comes near him, which is controlled by a remote-control device. The device is inadvertently removed before he awakens to his robotic life-and as a result the female scientist who is present ends up being killed.The man in charge of this project is Lehman's boss, Dr. Randolph Whyte, who is as nasty as a villain can get. He'll do anything to protect his project-and himself. He is determined to have the out-of-control 'Vindicator' killed so he hires an assassin named Hunter (Pam Grier in an over-the-top performance) to do just that.Lehman does contact his wife and tells her what is happening, knowing he can never be with her. At one point, when he is able to remove his metallic helmet, he sees his reflection-and his ravaged face looks like DR. PHIBE'S. The finale of the movie is a physical confrontation between Lehman and Whyte, who has donned one of the other experimental robotic suits. They tumble about the lab until only one is left standingGranted, THE VINDICATOR is slow at times and the comparable ROBOCOP is a far better movie, yet it's still an interesting Sci-Fi/Horror B-movie.The Vindicator costume, by the way, is designed by Stan Winston Studio.
